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Yet another depressing story about Kodak!


sunyata
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http://www.nytimes.com/video/business/100000003538108/kodak-after-the-bankruptcy.html?playlistId=1194811622182&region=video-grid&version=video-grid-headline&contentCollection=Times+Video&contentPlacement=6&module=recent-videos&action=click&pgType=Multimedia&eventName=video-grid-click

After watching this I'm left with the feeling that the death spiral has started.. or is nearing completion. I wish they would innovate their way out of the situation, but that's not the impression you get.

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Arri was in the same mess - they made film cameras and lenses.  And now look at them - they adapted and I think are thriving.  Kodak had the first digital camera patent - if they knew what they were doing, they would have be at the forefront of the digital photography movement.  It was their game to lose and they lost big.

So did Sony and Panasonic and Microsoft.

Microsoft was number one for so long, Apple was about to go out of business.  

Then the iphone revolution happened.

And now look at Apple.

It's sad to watch film die, but it was inevitable.  Whatever is cheapest and most convenient always wins. And shooting film for stills - you just don't get that much of an advantage for the cost - film is clearly better, but how much is it worth it?

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film is clearly better, but how much is it worth it?

​What do you think?  Any chance a smaller nimble company might set-up a modest factory to cater to the niche demand of shooters that want to keep doing film?  Maybe a Hollywood studio creates a sub-division to do so?  Somehow I believe film survives, just curious how it'll happen.

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Film was better for more than a hundred years, now the truth is that digital is better, much better. Film is a nice flavour and we love it for her defects!!!

​Nope digitial is not.  Just watched Corpo Celeste shot on 35mm film - I still don't think any digital camera has gotten it there yet.  Defects are sometimes strengths.  Perfect, digital, is not always good.  Soon it will get there maybe.  But having texture and movement, how each frame dances is truly lovely.

Case in point, Spike Jonze's work on film - Being John Malkavich, Adaptation - compared to Her.

Same with Roger Deakin's work - Fargo vs Skyfall.

There is something magical about film that these great filmmakers haven't nailed.  And Deakins is one of the greatest Dps of all time.  I have faith that digital will get there, but it's going to take a while.

and in the meantime, why not keep what works - keep that alive.

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It's sad times when the most exposure people see of the Kodak brand is just selling cheap AA batteries at Poundland.

Walking around the Pinewood lot, at least Spectre and Star Wars are being shot on Kodak film still.

Makes me wonder if they were as innovative at making better digital cameras or collaborating with companies like Nikon or Arri may have turned a better route...

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(the giant conglomerates like arri, nikon have enough of everybody's $$$)  Kodak is hurting right now...if you can buy a roll of 16mm ..shoot...check out the highlights..blacks..skin tones..it's brilliant stuff..something to move forward with

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​But it's not just what it's shot on these days, it's the whole workflow. The digital workflow is what gives films their look these days, not so much what it's shot on. I'd bet Skyfall wouldn't look much (if any) different if it were shot on film with all the post done digitally. Look at any movie shot on film recently and compare it to one shot in the 90s or before, totally different beast.

​I disagree.  Interstellar had tons of DI work and that looks simply incredible.  if that was shot on the alexa it would have felt different.

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Getting involved in a film vs. digital argument is a waste of time. They're both good for specific needs.

A year ago I built a wet darkroom. It's freaking magic in there. Photoshop and AE are pretty magical as well. Film is far from dead - Ilford stuck with it with their fingers crossed - they've been seeing sales growth and predict a healthy (though smaller than the past) market.

A good friend on mine said "it's like Vinyl vs. MP3 - and Vinyls' suddenly cool again..."

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Art is eternal while Craft always changes, they didn't realize they were in an artistic industry instead of a chemical industry. Apple for example updated its name from "Apple Computers", sending an important signal that they get it. I can totally see an Apple product one day that would have no computer parts in it. It's a pity Kodak didn't see themselves this way.

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